7 ideas for your best spring yet in Atlanta

It's springtime, that magical buffer season in Atlanta when Mother Nature gifts us with just-right temperatures and explosions of color (and yes, pollen).

Here's a handy guide of some of the best ways to take advantage of all that Atlanta has to offer.

1. 🍷 Grab dinner and drinks al fresco

After spending months huddled under heat lamps, embrace dining outdoors.

• Carve out a spot at Edgewood's El Tesoro, which has one of the city's best patios. Don't let the line scare you away; grab a drink from the side bar while you wait to order mulitas, burros and tamales.
• After fine-tuning your Skee-Ball game at Skyline Park, eat burrata and seared diver scallops, and count the number of cranes dotting the Midtown skyline at Nine Mile Station on the roof of Ponce City Market.
• Sample the selection of beers at Best End Brewing along the BeltLine's Westside Trail. If non-alcoholic drinks are preferred, head next door to Cultured South to sample a rotating menu of kombucha, including CBD-infused options.
• Grab a morning latte and let your canine run free in the shade at Park Grounds in Reynoldstown, or in the sun at Fetch locations in Old Fourth Ward or Buckhead (and, coming soon, Alpharetta).
• Grab a pie or a few slices from Glide Pizza's window at Studioplex (or their other locations) and stroll on the Beltline to Historic Fourth Ward Park. Don't forget the peppers and pizza ranch, both of which are housemade.

2. 👋🏽 Catch up with your neighbors

Atlantans hate traffic, frown on Pepsi and wince at the word "Hotlanta." We love — truly, deeply love — festivals. Here are top spots to dance, wander and ponder with crowds.

• Going strong for more than 80 years, the indomitable Dogwood Festival kicks off festival season, followed by the Inman Park Festival, Festival on Ponce, Decatur Arts Festival, Atlanta Caribbean Carnival, plus many more.
• Shaky Knees presents Green Day, Nine Inch Nails, My Morning Jacket and roughly 60 other bands for a three-day takeover of Central Park in Old Fourth Ward .
• Oakland Cemetery opens up after dark for Illumine, the annual event that brings together art installations, Atlanta history and neighbors.

3. ⚽ Cheer on Atlanta United alongside thousands of fans

Or the Braves as they compete for another MLB championship. You've also got the Hawks. And the Rollergirls and the Gladiators.

• Starting in May, the Atlanta Dream will take the court at Gateway Center Arena.

4. 🧳 Enjoy a staycation at these nearby Airbnbs

When you've had too much of Atlanta, get behind the wheel and head to one of these Airbnbs within driving distance.

• Our favorite: The yurt at Lookout Mountain that's not far from hiking and hang gliding and perfect for stargazing.

5. 🏞️ Lace up your boots and start walking

Few hikes in the city proper pack in so much as the East Palisades along the Chattahoochee River.

• You've got walks along the waterway and routes aplenty through the woods, a photo-friendly bamboo forest and an overlook to take in the river.
• For smaller crowds and even more elevation changes, head to West Palisades on the other side of the Chattahoochee.

Go far and go big: Pack a lunch, head toward Hiawassee, and take the challenging Jack's Knob Trail from Jack's Gap to the top of Brasstown Bald, Georgia's highest point.

• On a clear day the roughly 5-mile, out-and-back, not-for-the-faint-of-heart hike offers a view of Atlanta on the horizon. Trust us, the uphills and switchbacks are worth it from the very top.

6. 🪴 Get your desk pothos a sibling

Don't let nature have all the fun. Atlanta's full of great plant shops and sales, many of which benefit local nonprofits dedicated to keeping landscapes colorful and bees happy.

The Green Flamingo: This Virginia-Highland boutique offers a variety of houseplants, succulents and advice.

Flora/Fauna: Curated houseplants, pots and planters, and curiosities await at this intimate shop on the border of Cabbagetown.

The Victorian Atlanta: In addition to its Ponce City Market location selling the "not-so-common plants and indoor staples," the shop opened a hybrid coffee stop and plant boutique in East Atlanta Village.

Gramma B's: Named after the owner's grandmother, this family owned and operated store in Sandy Springs store has a wide selection of indoor and outdoor plants.

Garden*Hood: The outdoor shop in Grant Park is a go-to source for hard-to-find native plants, ferns, and trees and they can help design your garden. Say hi to the chickens while you're there.

For a good cause: Don't miss native plant sales benefiting Trees Atlanta, Oakland Cemetery, the Georgia Native Plant Society and other nonprofits.

7. 🌳 Do your part to keep Atlanta green

Spring is when Atlanta's flora shines the most. Take a few hours to make sure we have even more of it for generations to come.

Trees Atlanta has plantings and other projects you can sign up for across the city all the time. You bring the energy, the nonprofit will provide the tools and gear.